Rainy view from our room

View from Starbucks

:) BALI BAGUS (:

Back in Bali. The magic begins. We had an easy sunset flight into Phuket and a quick ride to the hotel we booked online close to the airport. It was kind of cute but the room was not super clean. Ron was assertive and got us new sheets and more towels and it all eventually worked out. Didn't want to eat in the restaurant there so we walked down the road and across a wide highway, traffic buzzing past. Not much there for tourists, just simple little local joints along the road, one after another, but nothing appealing. Keep walking. Finally a friendly young man who spoke some english welcomed us. Muslim, head covered women were making pancakes but he had beautiful crispy deep fried chicken and sticky rice. Some "nam chim gai " which is sweet chili sauce for the chicken and a pile of fried shallots rounded out our simple meal. We were sweating profusely and we ordered cokes and ice. They did not have cokes but sent a young girl next door to buy for us and brought out big plastic glasses of "filtered" ice. They tried so hard to accommodate our needs. Basic food but very good. Happily walked back to the room and amazingly had a very deep sleep until our wake up call at 4am. Then off to the airport. After a long check in, lots of travelers for the flight to Bali, we got through passport control and into the terminal. Spent our last bhat on two fantastic illy capuchinos. The best coffee we have had since out flight to Asia. Then duty-free for two bottles of Absolute. We took off as a brilliant sunrise colored the sky in a magenta and orange wash. We happened to meet a wonderful young man from Sweden who lives in Bali and shared a table with him while sipping our coffees. He had the seat across the aisle from me and we got into a long enlightened conversation touching on yoga, and the poison that effects the power of politics, and eventually came around to the inevitable "where are you staying". I told him Melati Cottages and he was surprised and told me he lives just across the street in a private home. We were very fortunate as his driver was picking him up at the airport and he offered to have us ride with him. $25 @ and a few forms later, we were through visa on arrival and wheeling our bags through the airport with Johan and Made the driver. A picturesque and sunny ride through small Balinese towns, lush greenery, statuary and wood carvings along the roadside, and rice fields thrilled us. We arrived at our little, favorite, family owned cottages and were in our room by 12:30 in the afternoon. By 2:30 it was pouring, and shocking waves of thunder and flashes of lightening were occurring every minute or two. We waited it out for an hour or two then walked the small trail to the sweet popular restaurant nearby called Lala and Lili's. Everything was wet, and the humidity was heavy. Big difference from Samui where it was hot but not thick and heavy heat like this. We had a cool ginger and lime drink, a fresh salad with avocado (the first salad in months)and settled into the view over a lotus pond and beyond to a rice paddy. Talkative expat settled uninvited at our table and regaled us with his stories non-stop for a couple of hours until we just had to take our leave and wander the path home. Hot hot hot. Took an evening swim in the pool and feel asleep to a symphony of frogs and cricket. This morning our bali coffee and tea was brought to our room where we sat on our porch in big cushioned bamboo chairs and sipped quietly as the morning slowly came into focus. Later we ate our lite breakfast of fruit, took a swim in the pool and headed out on a walk. It was 10:30 and delightfully hot and clear. Then as we were making our round about way to town the rain began again in earnest and we were forced to sit out the rain first at Murni's, a very old famous restaurant by the river. Then proceeded on as the rain tapered off, only to have it come down in sheets again. We stood under an overhang watching the traffic pass, then went into a little shop where an older but wise woman offered to sell us an umbrella. She smiled her toothless smile and with a giggle showed us several to choose from, wisely knowing she had a good chance of making a sale. We bought a nice sarong as well and all of us were happy. We marched on, wet and trying to watch our footing on the uneven broken cement sidewalks. Eventually we arrived at Tut Mok, where they serve the best coffee and have a nice view out to a local soccer field and and the food is excellent. We sat out the rain which was torrential. Hours went past. By 4:30 we decided to go ahead and eat our dinner. By 5:30 we were satiated with a delicious salad and grilled tuna steak. The rain had finally stopped and we could now walk home and save the $5 the taxi drivers would have charged. Clean cool air, but still humid. Got back to our place after 7 hours since we had left. Peeled off our damp clothes, took a swim, made a vodka tonic in our room and had an entirely enjoyable first full day in our beloved Bali.

Healthy

Happy

Last night in Paradise

This is it, our last night living on the beach. Hard to explain how simple and tranquil this has been. Staying here long enough that you are recognized by people, your habits known, your needs met. Our waiter at our favorite restaurant knows we order the morning glories no matter what else we have. He repeats our order before we can say it our selves, " Penang chicken curry, squid with basil and chili, morning glory, rice and two soda water with ice and lime". the sweet girl named Da from the north-east of Thailand who walks the beach selling jewelry, speaks decent English and passes our chaise several times a day, who we like and buy a couple of token necklaces from just so she can make a living. She brings us a sweet rice treat wrapped in banana leaf and leaves it on our chairs. The home made coconut ice cream seller who is so adorable and proud of his product. He separates a small roasted coconut in half, scoops six small balls of fresh ice cream into the coconut, and his young daughter places a tiny umbrella on top with a little crushed peanut, a few strips of fresh coconut and a tiny dome of colored candy. It is a small masterpiece and a very generous offering of one's hard work and decency. People here are so full of life. They work so hard. Yet they smile and have a soft way of taking it all in stride. In this month we have been introduced to wonderful new taste treats that as a tourist you may overlook. An old woman who grills small strips of bamboo which has a sweet mixture of banana and rice and coconut paste inside. Old fashioned Thai treats. Another who makes tiny balls of rice paste with a sweet palm sugar in the middle and everything dipped in fresh grated coconut which literally burst open when you bite through the jelly textured exterior to the sweet sugar inside. People proud of their homemade offerings. The days have become weeks as we've slipped into a more natural pace. The weather improving day by day to the most perfect day, this last one. Awoke to the sound of our new little alarm clock, a two year old who now occupies the bungalow behind us, and starts a non stop conversation the moment he awakens. His silent father walks him to the sand and lets him chatter endlessly before the sun rises. So we awake, take our chaise out to our spot in the sand beneath the twin palms we so like, and we watch the sun break free from the early morning clouds. The water is soft like velvet and we swam slowly parallel to the shore. I don't know of another place where I can swim in such a beautiful calm sea that is warm and with out waves. The day goes by so quickly. My book sits unread because all I can do is watch the sea changing colors, the clouds, the small boats moving by and the planes emerging from the clouds on their way to the airport on the other side of the hills. The "show" keeps my interest in a lazy hypnotic trance and I just can't seem to get past it's allure. I will miss my little simple bungalow by the sea. It is a gift to be living this close to nature. But Bali beckons and there is a little losman in a rice paddy awaiting us so our leaving is bittersweet and exciting all at the same time.

Storm clouds on the horizon

Living With Nature

How we love this beach, it really grows on you. You begin to appreciate it's simplicity. We have had big thunder, wind, rain, clouds, sun, and the doldrums. All in the past few days. Our bungalow is maybe forty feet from the shore break. You really learn to live with the elements. Waves lap the shore, the palm fronds dance and make a sound like soft clapping. The rain beats a percussive beat on the roof tiles, and the fisherman go out in their small kayaks, set their nets and slap the water with their paddles to drive the fish into nets. We lay in our lounge chairs and find it impossible to read. The "show" before our eyes captures our attention. Planes fly from BKK at a steady pace and drop in from the clouds to approach the airport just behind the hills to our right.. The small boats run across the channel to the island across from us and the catamaran comes several times a day across from Hat Rin on the next island. Wind surfers, kite sailers, and a few annoying jet skies troll out beyond our beach. Sellers of sarongs, jewelry, fruit, ice cream, and wind chimes parade up and down the beach hoping you will buy something. The vista is changing with the sunlight and the clouds, light and dark, water green and deepest blue. Hours pass. We know all the regulars, others are intruders on our space. We hoard our bit of beach and give the evil eye to anyone who dares to come within spitting distance of our chairs. So nice to live in the moment, nature our driving force. The three girls who come to clean our room, "Sweep, Giggle and Mop" arrive and take command. Within minutes our bed is made, the teak floors cleaned and the bathroom sanitized. They leave as they came, laughing and talking constantly in their high pitched sing-song tonal Thai. Today we rented a motorcycle. I am afraid to go far but there is a secondary road that connects our little beach resorts that runs in a convoluted path and is not so busy. Found new restaurant and had wonderful pad thai for lunch. The owner asked us if it was good? We said really good. She laughed and said her cook took the afternoon off and so she cooked our order herself. It was great. Such nice mellow people. On the ride home we saw a water buffalo, fighting cocks, stray dogs, and water ponds filled with lotus blossoms. A great day.

Valentines Day Sunset

Double Pleasure Massage

Fruit market

Ricardo and Plaa

Gift of Love

Yesterday, Valentine's day, was an unexpected treat. Ron and I took a song tao , the communal truck taxi's, into Nathon town to meet up with Ricardo and Plaa. It was her day off. We once again met at our favorite coffee/fresh bakery spot, Jun's. After lunch, we went to a nursery where Ricardo bought Plaa two beautiful orchids. On to the open air market for fresh coconut milk, a ripe pineapple and homemade massaman curry paste. Markets here are rich in colorful fruits, some we never get to experience in the states. Brilliant magenta dragon fruit, longons, mangosteens, the list is long. Then we drove to their home on the leeward side of the island, the sunset side. They have a lovely bungalow set on a fairly private beach with lush vegetation. You drive along narrow roads, small local shops here and there, a few houses and lots of coconut palms. Down a private road, between a large pond on one side and the sea on the other sits their house. As a gift of love plaa and ricardo set up their massage tables side by side and gave us each a wonderful massage. Plaa mixed fine ground powder from Bali with scented frangipani oil and gave me a gental rub down to exfoliate my skin. Then with the fresh yogurt she bought the day before, mixed with honey and heated to a very warm temperature, she drizzled it all over me in slow increments and massaged it into my skin. Oh so delicious, soothing and relaxing. Next to me, Ron was getting a more intense deep tissue massage from Ricardo. I was emitting contented sighs as he was making deeper groans as Ricardo worked on his tight spots. After I had showered off my skin felt so soft, and glowed with a renewed lushness. Ron went for a kayak and Ricardo for a sunset swim. Meanwhile Plaa went to work, making us a most healthful dinner in her tiny kitchen. Fresh squash roasted with olive oil and then fresh fried slivers of garlic. Baked giant mushrooms and fried tempee which we skewered and dipped in homemade peanut sauce. A fresh som tom with an unusual sauce made with tamarind paste instead of the usual lime. Steamed cauliflower and broccoli with an excellent spicy sauce she made for another dipping variation. All a mixture of favors and textures to excite our taste buds and so unlike the usual Thai dinners we have been experiencing. A final salad with lettuces and arugula which when you travel in Asia is special. You don't order salads unless you are one hundred percent trusting of the people washing your lettuce. It must be in pure water or you will pay a huge price the next day. Sitting on their front porch, candles and shells everywhere, the sun setting into the sea, soft breezes, sipping white wine and eating slices of fresh pineapple for a dessert. Perfection with two very dear friends who created a day to always be treasured, and remembered with love.

Real food

The last two days have been food heaven enjoyed with our friends Ricardo and Plaa. They have graciously come to pick us up and take us to their favorite restaurants. Ricardo just returned from two weeks in Bali. We went to a seaside restaurant mostly frequented by locals. Plastic tables and chairs in the sand. You have to wiggle your chair legs in the sand to get the angle just right. We let Plaa order. Out came some delicious foods that you would never see on a tourist menu. A whole fish deep fried but not greasy. Very crunchy and fresh, with a grated raw mango relish. Crabs cooked in a light curry soup. Mussels with a fire red dipping sauce. Morning glory in oyster sauce and very delicious coconut rice. So satisfying. Since Ron and I don't have a phone, we communicate via email. Today, after a lovely morning on the beach, Ricardo and Plaa came and picked us up and we went for a good cappuccino at Jun's, where each cup and dish is beautifully crafted in ceramic and uniquely individual. Art adorns the walls and everything is tasteful. From there we went shopping. First the fresh vegetable market. Only a small space and most items still in plastic bags having been delivered that morning. Plaa is planning to cook for us tomorrow so she bought eggplant, baby rocket which is what they call arugula. Fresh giant mushrooms, baby green peas, and tomatoes. I couldn't resist some Persian cucumbers. Then we drove to the tiny shop selling fresh yogurt and fete and baba ganoush. I could feel my taste buds getting all excited as they haven't had these foods since we left the states. Now the real eating began. We drove over to the west side of the island for sunset. Stopped in the main town of Nathon for the nightly food market along the water front by the pier where the ferry's come in from the mainland. So many wonderful smells and foods I didn't know the names of. Ricardo's favorite is called Ha Mok. It is a kind of light custard with either scrimp or crab mixed inside with spices. Then like a tamale, it is rolled in a banana leaf and grilled. They tasted like heaven, so soft and light, but spicy and melt in your mouth. We drank a beer and watched the sun set into the sea. Next we drove up the coast a couple of miles and went to their favorite place, Won Tok. It means sun fall. Another simple restaurant, tables in the sand. Plaa ordered us plates of baby squid cooked whole with a light coating and fried to perfection. Dipped in another one of those red spicy sauces. Hot and sour soup with seafood, chunks of ginger, Keifer lime leaf, lemon grass and things you can't eat but which give the soup such intense flavor. Another dish of seafood cooked with tamarind sauce, the sweetest and least spicy dish but still with a zing. Rice and our green favorite, morning glory. At the end of the meal there were at least 20-25 red chili's left on the plates. We were too full to go for dessert, but maybe tomorrow.

Happy

Hour

A good day on Samui

I awoke early refreshed from a good night's sleep. First thing I did was open up the doors facing the beach and take a look at the rising sun. Took our two chaise lounges down to the sand and placed them in "our spots". This reserves our space beneath two nice big coconut palms where we can relax in the shade and be on the edge of the property. Then ron came out and we took a swim while the sea was calm and there were few people. After a nice shower, we went to the restaurant and sat outside and had our morning coffee, fruit salad and yogurt. Back at the room by 9am. Read our emails, took it easy and then had another hour or two on the beach. Cleaned up and walked up to the ring road and waited to catch the song tao, the local taxi. They are small pick up trucks with bench seats along the side of the bed of the truck and a metal roof. You flag them down, tell the driver where you want to go and he tells you the price. We went to the main town called Nathon. There we went to Asia Travel to book flight tickets to Bali. We took the advice of the more experienced agent when she made a very long face on hearing we wanted to catch the Malaysian flight to KL. she warned us that the morning flight from Samui could be late and as we only had an hour to connect to the international flight it was a gamble. So our plans changed and we are now booked to fly an afternoon flight to Phuket where we will stay over night and then take Air Asia direct from Phuket to Bali. This seemed the best thing to do, and also saved us about $200, the potential of a missed connection, and a lot of worry. After that we walked around, bought some clothes, ate a nice pad Thai and had an iced coffee. Caught the song tao back to our beach and were back in our chaise lounges by 2:30. A very successful day. By 6pm we were having our evening cocktail of absolute vodka, lime and fresh tangerine juice on our front porch. There is no tonic to be had in Thailand as the factory was ruined in the floods. We have resorted to the tangerine juice and it is delicious. We walked down the beach to another restaurant that we went to years ago. It is off the beach on the road in town. More noise and action. But the food was excellent. Red curry with chicken, small eggplant and Thai basil. Fried seafood with sweet sauce, and my favorite greens cooked in a light sauce. Steamed rice and soda water with lime. Our dinner cost $12 including a small tip. We will definitely go there again. There are about a dozen 7-11 stores in every town and we go each night for a big bottle of water and maybe something sweet. They are shockingly cold inside. Feels great. Walked back on the beach a nd now we are home in our little bungalow. A good day on Samui.

Typical Thai

We took a walk into the little town of Maenam a few days ago where we went to see a travel agent to make reservations for our flight to Bali. Being here on an island there are fewer options and more cost. But she came up with a plan to fly from Samui to Phuket on the early morning flight. Then Malaysian Air to KL, layover 4 hours, and then final flight to Bali. Long day but at least we get there in one day. Most flights required a nite in either Phuket or KL. We walked back a couple of days later to pay for the tickets and her little shop was closed. Next door was a small dental office. Ron went in and asked the receptionist if she could call the travel agent. She did, and it turns out she went to BKK for a week. So much for our reservations. So typical. Today we have to take a taxi into the main town and see if we can get the same flights. Hope they are not sold out, or more money. The dental office was cute. You have to remove your shoes before entering, so everyone is barefooted. The two girls there had on pale pink smocks, and when I peeked into one of the rooms, everything including the patient chair was pink. Must be a woman DDS. They posted a menu of options they could perform for you. Under cleanings it said, "light", "medium", or "hard". I found that interesting.

Beach

Bungalow

Breakfast

Peace

With a heavy heart

This morning, after a sleepless and troubled nite, I heard the tiny iPad sound announcing email. Maybe 6:30am. The sun had just crested the hills and the ocean was almost like a lake, smooth glassy water reflecting the red sun on it's dark surface. I opened my mail and learned that my dear friend and former boss, Howard Benedict had passed away the day before. The email was a very tender note from Bogdan letting me know that he had been with Howard just a couple of hours before, holding his hand and telling him all of his patients were missing him and were being well taken care of. What a generous thing to do. I have been blessed to work with these two exceptional dentist, and know that my life would not have been as richly textured without first Howard, and then Bogdan, understanding my wanderlust and need for occasional journeys to feed my curiosity and enlighten my soul. Each time I experience the full moon rising like an orange globe over the sea, or the lanquid sultry heat of an Asian night, or the generosity of a poor hardworking peasant, I feel graditude to each of these men for allowing me to have my proverbial job and my "cake" too. So with a very heavy heart, I went out into the sea before most anyone else was awake and swam in the red water, silence surrounding me except for my own tears and sighs. The Buddhist believe that if you have lived a virtuous life of service, kindness and generosity then you will return to an even better life. I choose to think this will be Howard's gift. Goodbye friend, you are free.

Delicious evening

Just returned from dinner by the edge of the sea, sitting at a bamboo table in the sand. The wind is down to a most delicate breeze, the waves have quieted down to soft gentle hints of sound, and the air is balmy and clear. We walked barefooted along the shore to a favorite restaurant from previous years. Few diners. We almost missed it. Where is everybody? This place used to hum with loud buddha bar sounds and tons of people. Now about a half dozen of us beneath the stars. But so nice to sit and look out across the channel to koh Phangon and the thin line of lights along it's shoreline. We ate a rich panang chicken curry with keifer lime leaf, squid cooked in garlic and basil and morning glory in oyster sauce. So delicious. In three days the moon will be full. The famous full moon party will be in full swing across the channel at koh Phangon which means lots of speed boat taking tourist across the water all nite. Sometimes there can be as many as 30 thousand people partying there. For now, the quiet nite is sacred. The peace a gift.

Massage on the beach

Cool ride

Koh samui

After a confusing and frustrating technical clich, the blog dashboard has now magically appeared once again after a week of vacancy. We returned via the fast catamaran ferry to koh samui, the largest of the three islands here on the east coast of Thailand from Koh Phangon, where we spent the last week in style. We arrived yesterday and checked into our old bungalow resort on maenam beach, a white 4 mile cresant of sand, palm tree lined and the sea changing from pale green to deep blue depending on the clouds and sun. More activity now, more of everything. Kind of makes me shudder, watching the charming little independently owned resorts disappear and the new ugly ones take their place. Ours is hanging in there, abit worn and well used. But, we enjoy ocean front with a nice size deck and shade from the palms which is critical in the heat of the day. Some familiar faces, the people who return year after year. The sellers who walking the beach with their goods have the hardest jobs. Carrying baskets hanging from each end of a bamboo pole weighted down with fruits, coconuts, little burners that they can cook you some skewers of sate along with sticky rice and our favorite, som tom,which is green papaya salad. I tried to lift one of those poles and couldn't get it up off the ground much less walk the beach all day in the soft sand. Last nite we met up with Jim Aplington for a final nite of fun and food before he left this morning to return to BKK to met up with his girlfriend flying in and then going to Nepal. We met in the small town of Boput which has become the new young hip place to stay. The Friday nite market and music scene was starting and it just got better and better as the night went on. We started with a drink on the beach at the reggae bar, then walked along eating, first skewers of very tasty chicken sate and peanut sauce served with cut up cucumber with a lite sweet vinaigrette sauce. Cost less than $2. Next we tasted veggie samosas with wonderfully spicy green sauce. Walking along we made it to a bar with a great offering of crushed lime, mint and vodka and soda on ice. Very refreshing. Later we ate some fried shrimp, a banana crepe with chocolate sauce and a cold water. Wonderful. We settled back on the beach, away from the crowds that had gathered and found a wooden platform with cushions where we sat undisturbed watching the fireworks and the lights along the waters edge. Beautiful. Now on my front deck, two massage people on the sand with their platforms ready to give you an hour Thai massage for cheap, and the breeze strong and cooling, Ronnie bringing a little treat to eat from one of the venders. Time flies. It takes some effort to get comfortable with the slow pace. We are working at it.